The New Browns: Poor Drafting or Just Unlucky
“Gotta get ready for my badass underhand-throw, that all the ladies seem to love.” Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
2012 NFL Draft
#1 QB Andrew Luck #1 Overall
#2 QB Robert Griffin III #2 Overall
Browns #4 traded up to #3 Trent Richardson
#3 QB Ryan Tannehill #8 Overall
Browns #4 QB Brandon Weeden #22 Overall
Browns #37 Mitchell Schwartz
#4 QB Brock Osweiler #57 Overall 2nd Round
#5 QB Russell Wilson #75 3rd Round
Browns #87 John Hughes
#6 QB Nick Foles #88 3rd Round
Browns #100 Travis Benjamin
#7 QB Kurt Cousins #102 4th Round
Verdict-Well…the Browns really ducked this one up didn’t they….or did they? There was no chance they were getting Luck. For RG3 they only had to mortgage their draft future which the Redskins did and it doesn’t look pretty. So the next choice was Ryan Tannehill. Tannehill has looked solid but it’s still not confirmed he’s a Franchise QB like RG3 and Luck are. Oswiler and Cousins are still a mystery (though Cousins has played decent in spots) meanwhile Wilson and Foles have led their teams to the playoffs looking pretty good. This was just a huge wiff. Taking the 27 year old Weeden instead of Wilson and Foles is horrible but the problem is most draft experts had 1st round/late 2nd round grades on Weeden and had him in the upper cluster where Wilson and Foles were not. Had the Browns just been bad enough, they would had Luck or Griffin, but again and again the Browns are missing out on getting a chance on the can’t miss QB prospects and are being stuck taking risks on guys with question marks. Overall terrible draft for the Browns, but had they just lost 2 more games we’d be talking about how this was the best draft to happen to the Browns.
2013 NFL Draft
Browns #6 – Barkevious Mingo
#1 QB Prospect?–EJ Manuel #16 Overall
Browns #38 Josh Gordon Pick
#2 QB Prospect – Geno Smith #39 Overall
Others – Mike Glennon (3rd Round)
Verdict-No one in this draft was a can’t miss QB. Even if there was I don’t think the Browns would have been in position with QB Hungry Chiefs and Jaguars in front. Smith and Manuel played ok but they aren’t a can’t miss franchise QB.
Final statement-The Browns haven’t had the luck or learned how to lose (bottom out) properly. They never had a shot at most of the better QBs in this league right now. Missing out on Luck, RG3, Newton, Bradford, Stafford, Ryan, Cutler, Flacco, Smith, Manning, Rivers, Palmer and Vick. They’re constantly being asked to find something in the rough. Trying to find something marvelous in a sea of question marks (with both Wilson and Brees size was a serious question mark). This year is no different as they’re faced with the 4th pick in the draft, again potentially missing out on their number one choice who can go #1 to the Texans, and behind #2 Rams (who can trade down to someone who wants a QB or take one themselves if they’re worried about the injuries to Bradford) and #3 Jaguars who could be taking a QB themselves. Leaving them, possibly, the 3rd or 4th best QB in the draft with only 3 currently getting first round grades (Bridgewater, Bortles and Manziel). Carr is on the brink but most don’t consider him a 1st round pick. Now I’m not sure if it’ll play out that way (check my latest mock for my thoughts) but if there was a consensus #1 and #2 QB like with Luck and Griffin chances are the Texans and Jaguars would scoop them up before giving the Browns a chance. Just another unlucky go around on this awful carousel.
PS-Here’s something depressing to make your day worse. Brady Quinn and Brandon Weeden are the highest picked quarterbacks by the Browns, at #22, since Tim Couch went #1 in 1999.